Any discussion of entertainers who departed the earthly realm before receiving the flowers they deserved includes the name Amy Winehouse. Following the release of her debut album Frank in 2003, largely produced by powerhouse Salaam Remi, the British GRAMMY Award-winning singer-songwriter took the world by storm. While some were critical of her public outbursts, mental illness and struggles with addiction, others chose instead to focus on her tremendous and unique talent. Nearly 13 years after her tragic death at the age of 27, her music remains in heavy rotation and her influence is seen throughout the myriad of young artists who follow in her footsteps.
Now, following 2015’s heartbreaking, Academy Award-winning documentary Amy and after a handful of attempts at capturing the many facets of such a complex being, StudioCanal and Focus Features are set to release a biopic about the life of Amy Winehouse entitled Back To Black. Named after her critically-acclaimed 2006 album Back To Black, the film is described as, “An unflinching look at the modern celebrity machine and a powerful tribute to a once-in-a-generation talent.”
The biopic stars actress Marisa Abela and will feature many of Winehouse’s hits recorded and performed by Abela. Director Sam Taylor-Johnson claims Abela, “doesn’t impersonate Amy, she inhabits her.”
Hardcore Amy Winehouse fans are a bit apprehensive about this film and question whether the same forces that exploited her and scrutinized everything from her wardrobe to her relationships are even capable of developing a biopic befitting such an icon and sadly a tortured soul. Though it remains to be seen, in the age of social media and passionate public discourse, her enduring fanbase and others protective of her legacy are sure to make their delight or disdain known.
View the movie poster and watch the first trailer for Back To Black below. Mark your calendars for Amy Winehouse’s story to hit theaters in the United Kingdom and Ireland on April 12th before the film makes its international debut.
